Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to a display device having a front surface and sides connected to each other using the same material.
Discussion of the Related Art
Examples of a flat panel display include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, and an electrophoresis display (EPD). The liquid crystal display displays an image by controlling an electric field applied to liquid crystal molecules based on a data voltage. An active matrix liquid crystal display reduces its manufacturing cost and improves its performance with improved process technology and driving technology. The active matrix liquid crystal display is used for display devices including small-sized mobile devices and large-sized televisions.
Manufacturers of the flat panel display have made various attempts to implement a narrow bezel. The narrow bezel technology reduces a bezel, on which an image is not displayed at an edge of a display panel, thereby relatively increasing the size of an active screen, on which the image is displayed, as compared with other display panels of the same size. In general, because gate driver integrated circuits (ICs) are respectively disposed at left and right edges of the display panel, it is difficult to reduce left and right bezels of the display panel. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, because case members wrapping the display panel are installed at the edge of the display panel, it is difficult to reduce the left and right bezels of the display panel.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an edge of a liquid crystal module.
As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid crystal module includes case members 20 and 21 for joining a display panel 10 and a backlight unit (not shown) into one module. Polarizing plates 11 and 12 are respectively attached to an upper substrate and a lower substrate of the display panel 10.
The case members 20 and 21 include a guide panel 20 for supporting the display panel 10 at the bottom, a bottom cover (not shown), and a top case 21, which wraps around an upper edge of the display panel 10, the guide panel 20, and an edge of the bottom cover.
The guide panel 20 may be manufactured using a plastic injection material. The top case 21 and the bottom cover may be manufactured using a metal material. As shown in FIG. 2, the polarizing plate 11 is exposed to the outside at the front of the liquid crystal module, and the top case 21 is exposed to the outside at the sides of the liquid crystal module. The front surface and the sides of the liquid crystal module are separated as different components (i.e., the polarizing plate 11 and the top case 21). When they are enlarged, as shown in FIG. 2, the bezel of the display panel 10 is more apparent.